Fifty-fifty odds at the start still (4,2)
I believe the answer is:
even so
'still' is the definition.
(both can mean 'nonetheless')
'fifty-fifty odds at the start' is the wordplay.
'fifty-fifty' becomes 'evens' (I've seen this before).
'at the start' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'odds' is 'o'.
'evens'+'o'='EVEN SO'
(Other definitions for even so that I've seen before include "Notwithstanding" , "in any event" , "however" , "anyway" , "yet" .)